FAQs

Structurally, there is very little difference between a deck and a dock. Outback use the same materials and construction principles. The main difference is that a deck is over land while a dock is over water.

Installing a dock essentially disturbs lands that are subject to Florida regulations. Applying for a permit and going through the appropriate channels allows Outback to work with you to minimize any adverse impact on the environment.

If you have an existing, legally built dock, a permit could still potentially be required prior to making any change to the size, location, or configuration of the docking structure(s). Changing construction materials, such as replacing wood decking with composite decking or replacing a wood dock with an aluminum dock, does not require additional permits…but it’s still best to check with us first.

Yes, a permit is required to install all boat lifts and jet ski lifts. One boat lift or jet ski lift is equivalent to a single boat slip.

People commonly refer to all vertical shoreline structures as “seawalls,” but there is a difference between a seawall and a bulkhead.

A seawall is a structure that provides shoreline protection from waves but also retains soil.

A bulkhead is a shoreline stabilization structure that primarily retains soil, and provides minimal protection from waves.

If you see enough damage to question whether it’s time to repair or replace your seawall your best option is to consult a licensed contractor. Factors that could influence your decision are:

Amount of damage present
Cost of seawall repair vs. replacement
Decision to use different materials
Plans to sell the property

Tell-tale signs of concrete seawall deterioration can be sinkholes just behind the wall that that slowly weakens it. Additionally, rust-colored cracks indicate saltwater corrosion in the rebar. When rebar corrodes, it expands, causing further cracking in the seawall and allowing backfill to escape through and sometimes under the wall. When stressed with a storm event, these cracks can cause the seawall to fail in a catastrophic way..

This is a difficult question to answer, without knowing more about your project. Essentially, the answer is as custom as your project.  There are however three main factors which affect completion dates:

• Permitting – As much as we wish we could sign the construction contract ourselves and obtain the necessary permits on our way back to the office…reality doesn’t always match up! Depending on the project…permitting may only be 1 week, or it could be over 1-2 montha. Regardless, Top Dog stay on top of the process each step of the way and make sure that we do all we can to minimize the permit process.

• Weather – Needless to say, Florida’s unique weather doesn’t always cooperate with projects.  For the safety of our staff, we take inclement weather seriously. We want to finish your project on time, but not at the risk of injury to one of our staff.

• Crew Availability – We are a relatively small company, and book our projects a ways out. Once your construction permit is issued, we will immediately allocate a crew to your project..and once we get on-site, we don’t leave until your job is complete.

As you can see, there is no solid answer.  For some projects we can have everything wrapped up in less than 2 weeks.  For a client whose dock/marine project has unique variances, it may be 8-12 months from contract signing to completion of the project.  When we meet with you, we will be able to provide a bit more specific timeline.